Pressure-reducing valve.



F. C. BLANCHARD, E-"B. CROCKER & P. S. KEEFER.

PRESSURE REDUCING VALVE. APPLICATION FILED AuG.2."19|5.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917. 3

m g l g k! fivevifiyrs 'j eazw'cb 6. :BZwncka/KZ, $7 2023)? :25.Cracker; 1 1 01;? 1 v M (X m FREDERICK C. BLANCEAIR-D AND ERNEST B.

CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO THE ASECEOFT MANUFAC- BRIDGE ORT,CCNN'EC'IIC'UT,

KEEFER, on MILFORD, roams COMPANY, or nno rreu'r.

1'0 all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that we, FREDERICK C. BLAN- CHARD and ERNEST B. CRooKnR,citizens of the United States, and residents of Brldgeport, in thecounty Connecticut, and PHILIP S. KEEFER, a c1t1- zen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Milford, in the county of New Haven and saidState of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements inPressure- Reducing Yalves, of which the following 1s a s ecification.

mg .valves, or regulators;

,hisirivention relates to pressure reducand while primarily designed foruse in conjunction with high pressure oxygen gas reservoirs, it isapplicable to other uses, and its rlnciples of construction aresusceptible o adaptation to valves for a variety of urposes, and forhandling a wide range 0 initial pressures, and a eat variety of gases,and conceivably of liquids.

For the purpose of illustration we will describe a pressure reducingvalve designed for use upon an oxygen tank. It is to be understood,however, that this is by way of illustration merely and that theinvention is not limited to such specific use or construction, but iscapable of more general application, and its more general application iscontemplated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of theinvention in a regulator suitable for oxygen work,-- Figure 1 is alongitudinal section of the regulator online m-y of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is anend elevation of the regulator viewed from the right of Fig. 1; and Fig.3 is a fragmentary detail, in section, showing the connection betweenthe delivery pressure gage and the valve body.

Referring to the drawings, the valve body, which may be the nozzle of agas tank, fluid pressure, by a nipple or union 2, formed with an inletbore or passage 3. The outer or free end of the nipple 2, is rounded orconvex, as shown, to engage a similarly conoaved end of the nozzle. Acoupling nut 4 is provided on the nipple 2 to connect the valve to thenozzle of the gas tank, and is loosely held between two rings- 5 and 6,which are secured in grooves in the nozzle 2 and hold the coupling nut 4in position on 1 represents connected to Specification of LettersPatent.

of Fairfield and State of or other source of' 03.003, OF BRIDGEEORT, ANDFEILI? S.

A CORPORATE CON- PRESSURE-REDUCING VALVE.

Patented Jan. 2%, 11ers.

Application filed. au ust 2, 1915. Serial no. cause.

- the nozzle. The inner end of the nozzle is formed with a head 7,having a conical or ta.-

ering outer surface, which makes a tight oint with a correspondinglytapered inner surface at the inlet end of'the valve body 1.

c The nipple 2 and valve body 1 are held to ether by a coupling nut 8,

he valve body 1 1s made with a cylindrical bore or recess 9,screw-threaded part way inward from its inlet end. A plug or block 10 issecured within said recess 9, by means of a -threaded enlargement whichscrews into the threaded end of the recess. Across the end of the block10 are a pair of slots or channels 11, arranged transversely of eachother, with which communicate passages 12 extending lengthwise throughthe block 10, and opening into an annular space formed between a reducedportion of the block 10 and the walls of the recess 9. This strainer orfilter consisting of a sheet of wire gauze 15, or other suitablematerial,

across passa es 13, and a packing of. ab-

sorbent, straining material such as woolen yarn 16 wound around theblock within said annular space. Said windin held in place by a sleeve17. g valve member 18 works in the valve chamber 14, and its end whichengages the valve-seat and constitutes the valve proper, is faced withsome durable material 19 such as hard rubher, which will not beseriously affected by heat or by the gas for which the device is used.The valve 19 is the main valve and is urged toward its seat by a coilexpansion spring 20. The valve-seat 21, made in a separate piece, isfitted into the end of the block 10, and is secured thereto by acoupling nut 22. The plug or block 10 and its of yarn is gas may passthrough a larger area of the strainer than it would do if the wholeunder surface of the ring lay directly upon the strainer.

On the delivery side of the main valve is the bore or passage 26, fromwhich the delivery passage-27 leads outwardly through the slde of thevalve body 1 and is controlled by a hand-operated needle valve ordelivery valve indicated generally at28, which ma be of usualconstruction.

X tubular plug or bushing 29 is screwed into the outer end of b'pre 26,and is provided at its outer end with a yoke havin inturned lips orflanges 30. A push rod 3 is mounted to .move endwise 1n the bore throughplug 29, the iImer end being reduced in size as shown at 32, to extendthrough the valve-seat 21 into engagement with the valve 19. The part ofthe pushrod 31 which is within plug 29 is made with a helical groove 33,forming with walls of the bore through plug 29 a helical choke passagefor the plamed.

The hub 1 of the valve body constitutesa -delivery pressure chamber anda safetyvalve chamber, one wall of whichis formed by the diaphragm 34,preferably madeof rubber, with a fabric reinforcement, and clamped tothe end of hub 1 b the hub 35 of sleeve 36 screwed on to hu 1. Thediaphragm 34 is further reinforced on its inner side by an annulus 37 9fthin flexible metal, and is protected against being cut or injured bythe corner of shoulder 35, by an annulus 38, rounded over at its innerperiphery as shown at 39. This is especially advantageous when parts 1and 35 are being screwed together upon the diaphragm, since the hub 35instead of turning on the rubber diaphra will slip on the ring 38, whichwill be frlctionally held against movement by the rubber diaphragm andwill so protect the rubber from injur A diaphragm stud 40, extendsthrough the center of the diaphragm and is fastened thereto by the studnut 41, which also secures the disk 42 to the stud. 'The headed end ofstud 40 is recessed or cupped to re ceive the safetyevalve seat43 whichis held in place by the ring 44 screwed into the endof stud 40 at theoutside of the valve-seat. 45 is the safety valve, normally closed uponseat 43, and provided with ahead 46 to en- Y gage the lips 30 when thevalve and its seat move to the right, carried by the; flexiblediaphragm, as hereinafter explained. The headed end of valve 45 engagesthe end of push rod 31, when the safety-valve and seat are moved in theopposite direction, and so I lifts the main valve 19 off its seat. Avalve stem '47 is secured to the safety-valve 45 and extends throughthestud 40 .and into the main regulating spring chamber within purposehereinafter ex-' sleeve 36, and has secured to its end a safety-valvespring washer 48. The safetyvalve spring 49 surrounding stud nut 41,

and abutting at one end against said washer within the cap 52 and sleeve36 bears at one end againstthe disk 42, thereby acting on the diaphragm,and at the other end against a disk 54, which is provided with a centralpivot pin 55 engaging a socket 56 in the end of the cap 52, to permitthe cap 52 to be turned easily without twisting the spring 53. The cap52 is provided with a safety vent 57. v

Two pressure gages A and B (Fig. 2) are mounted on the valve body, oneof which, A, is connected to the pressure side of the reducing valve 19to indicate the supply pressure or initial pressure, and the other ofwhich, B, is connected to the delivery side of the reducing valve toindicate the de livery pressure. These gages may be of any usual orpreferred type. The connecting fitting by which gage A is secured to thevalve body is shown at 58. Its gas passage .59 connects with passage 60in the valve body, which in turn communicates with the inlet passages atthe high pressure side of the main valve seat 21. It will be understoodthat the sleeve 17; is not sealed tightly upon block 10, but fitssuificiently loose to permit the gas under pressure to reach passage 60.Similarly ,gage B is secured to the valve body by a connecting fitting61 (Fig. 3), whose gas passage 62 connects with passage 63 communicatingwith the chamber in hub 1, thus indicating the pressure at the deliveryside of valve seat 21. v

In operation. the gas entering through passage 3,-passes through thefilter 24, which removes any coarser impurities, thence passes throughducts Hand 12 and is again -filtered by the absorbent material'16 andthe regulating cap 52, thus pressing the dia- 1 phragm 34 inward withgreater or less force as desired. This movement, acting throughsafety-valve seat 43, safety-valve 45, and

and spring pressure balance each other, the

diaphragm will be forced "outward against the spring by the excess ofgas pressure, and the reducing valve 19 will be allowed to approach itsseat, thus checking or wholly cutting off the flow of gas through thevalveseat 21. And when the pressure in chamber 1? falls below thepredetermined point, the spring 53, overbalancing the pressure in 1,will force the diaphragm inward thereby lifting the valve 19 fartherfrom its seat (acting through push rod gas through the reducing valve. Tis'action will continue automatically so long as the valve is in oeration, and will maintain a constant do "very pressure, since themovements. of the diaphragm, and consequently of the valve 19, areinstantly responsive t the slightest changes in the relative pressuresof the gas in chamber 1 and of -s ring 53.

e predetermined delivery pressure may be varied as desired by adjustingthe spring '53 by means of the regulating cap 52. The

helical passage 33 formed in the push rod 31, operates to damp or checkrapid and violent pressure fluctuations, which might .otherwise causethe valve 19 to chatter or vibrate.

- In order to prevent the occurrence of a dangerous degree ofover-pressure on'the discharge side of the device, the automatic safet-valve is provided, the operation of whic isas follows: In case thevalve 19 should fail to close by reason of the presence of dirt betweenthe valve and its seat, or in case for any cause a substantial degree ofoverzipressure should occur in chamber 1, the iaphragm 34 will be forcedoutward,

compressin spring 53, until the head 46 of the sa ety-valve engages thelips 30. Thereupon the safety-valve is arrested and the, continuedoutward movement of the diaphragm 34 carries the safety-valve seat 43away from the valve, and permits the escape of the gas through stud 40and thence through vents 51 in the stud nut 41 into the main springchamber, which also is vented at 57. Thus no dangerous pressure can everaccumulate at the discharge side of the re-' ducing valve, excess ofthat'for which the main regulating v spring 53 is set. The lips 30perform the The gas passes.

of the reducing valve will 31) andadmittin more nor any pressure greatlyin dia- An of this pressure reducing valve is, that, in contrast to theformer practice of closing the main valve against the high pressure, thehigh pressure in our regulator acts with the valve, tending to close tupon its seat, whereby the pressure works to keep. the valve tightrather than to open it. This operates advanta geously both as regardsdpositively closing the regulator when the elivery of gas is stopped,and also to keep the delivery pressure up as the initial pressuredecreases. Tests have proved that delivery pressures may be maintained.by our regulator with a very slight excess pressure in the gas tank,and that consequently gas in a tank can be used up very economically.Moreover, with the regulator adjusted for a iven delivery pressure, ifthe delivery-foft%e gas is-shut ofi' beyond the regulator, withoutrelieving the pressure adjustment, the main valve will not be damaged,since. the tank pressure is simply holding the valve a ainst its seatwith a load equal to the tan pressure per square inch multiplied by thearea of the seat, plus the "smal valve spring pressure. This totalloadis not sufiicient to damage the valve disk, whereas in regulatorswhere the valve works against the tank pressure, the valve will bethrown against its seat, under similar conditions of adjustment andoperation, with a load equal to the pounds per stgiare inch on thediaphragm multi-. lied y the area of the diaphragm. This oad is far inexcess of that in our valve and is so severe that it tends to force thevalve upon its seat hard enough to form a plug on the face of the valvewithin the seat, thus spoiling the valve or causing the valve to stickand operate in a very uncertain manner.

It is to benoted also that the diaphragm 34 is reinforced on the innerside by a disk of spring metal 37 which -bridges over the gap betweenthe spring washer 42 and the ofthe main valve and its associated parts,and providing a structure in which the valve and seat are wholly sealedand protected against foreign matter.

Another unique feature is the safety-valve which operates certainly andpositively when any predetermined overpressure ocours, and so whollyremoves the danger of bursting the diaphragm or otherwise injuring theregulator. This safety-valve acts whenever a reasonable amount ofover-travel of the diaphragm takes place, caused by over-pressure ascompared with the working delivery pressure. The closing as well as theopening of the valve is positive and is accomplished within a very closepressure ran e.

aving nearly the entire load on the diaphragm as an operative force toopen the safety valve, the use of a spring of appreciable strength ispermitted to close the safety-valve and hold it tight on its seat untilit is again required to open. The pressure in the dia hragm' chamberalso tends to close the safety-val e. The advantages of this form ofsafety-valve over the ordi-' nary pop safety valve generally used inregulators will be appreciated, since with pop safety 'valves the; loadunder the seat must overbalance the sprin pressure before the valve canlift, and when the valve is lifted the force which opens the valve isonly the differential between the pressure load below the valve and thespring load above the valve. This renders. the valve much less positivein action. The safetyvalve is also concentric with the main valve of theregulator, and operates without levers or pivots, as does the mainvalve, so that friction, and necessity of adjustment, and diflicultiesof assembling are in a large measure eliminated.

The use of the needle valve for shutting off the delivery of gas to thetorch makes it unnecessary to close the tank valve in case a hose shouldbe blown off or an accident should happen to the torch.

The union connection by which the regulator is attached to the tank orother source ofhigh pressure is, not integral with the regulator body,but is a separate piece which may be screwed on to the body and may bereadily adapted to fit various forms of tank delivery nozzles.

Without any change of spring and by simply manipulating the pressureadjustment, a delivery pressure varying from as high as 150 pounds downto a half pound can be secured. 'As the delivery pressure isautomatically maintained notwithstanding the decrease of the supplypressure, until the supply pressure is approximately down to thedelivery ressure, a longer running period without 0 ange of adjustmentsis possible than in regulators heretofore made, in which it has beennecessary to change the adjustment quite frequent y in order to maintaina reasonably constant delivery pressure.

amen

We claim 1. In a reducing valve, a valve 'body having an initialpressure passa e and a'discharge pressure passage, a va ve and valveseat therebetween, at discharge pressure chamber, the wall of whichincludes a diaphragm, a spring which imparts pressure to the diaphragmopposedto the pressure in said discharge pressure chamber, meansactuated .by the diaphragm for controlling the valve and ahellcalpassage connecting said discharge passage and said dischar epressure chamberadapted to check rapid pressure fluctuations.

2. In a reducing valve, a valve body having an initial pressure passageand a discharge pressure passage, a. valve and valve seat, therebetween,a discharge pressure chamber, the walls of which include a diaphragm, aspring which imparts pressure to the diaphragm opposed to the pressure1n said discharge pressure chamber, a bore 7 connecting said dischargepressure passage and. said discharge pressure chamber, and avalveco'ntrolling push rod actuated by said diaphragm extending throughsaid bore and having a' helical groove forming. with said bore atortuous passage adapted to check rapid pressure fluctuatlons. In areducing valve, a valve body'having an initial pressure passage and adischarge pressure passage, a valve and valve seat therebetween, adischarge pressure chamber, the walls of which include a diaphragm, aspring which imparts pressure to the diaphragm opposed to the pressurein said discharge pressure chamber, a tubular bushing formed with abore'connecting said discharge pressure passage and said dischargepressure chamber, and a valve controlling push rod actuated by saiddiaphragm extendlng through said bore and having a helical groove forminwith said bore a tortuous passage adapte sure fluctuations.

to check rapid pres- PIGSSHIB passage,

a discharge pressure passage, a main valve and valve seat therebe-vtween, a diaphragm responsive to pressures on the discharge side of saidmain valve for controlling" said main valve, a safety outlet passagecommunicating with said discharge passage having a safety valve seat, asafety valve controlling said safety outlet passa e adapted to close inthe direction of t e pressure, and means operative by an excessivemovement of said diaphragm caused by an over-pressure. on the dischargesideof said main valve adapted positively to'open said safety valveagainst said pressure.

5. A re ucing valve having an initial pressure passage, a dischargepressure passage, a main valve and valve seat therebetweenfia diaphragmresponsive to pressures on the discharge side of said main valve, forcontrolling said main valve, a safety valve and valve seat carried byand moving with said diaphragm, and meansto arrest the safety valve whenan excessive movement of the diaphragm occurs, caused by anover-pressure on the discharge side of said main valve, whereby thediaphragm will carry the seat away from the safety valve.

6. A reducing valve having an initial pressure passage, a dischargepressure passage, a' main valve and valve seat therebetween, a diaphragmresponsive to pressures on the discharge side of said mainvalve forcontrolling said main valve, a diaphragm stud carried by and extendingthrough the middle of said diaphragm and having an outlet passagetherethrough, a safety valve seat at the inner end of said diaphragmstud, a safety valve having a stem extending through said outletpassage, a spring cooperating with said stem to urge the safety valvetoward its seat, and means to arrest the outward movement of the safetyvalve, when an excessive movement of the diaphragm occurs, caused by anover-pressure on the discharge side of said main valve, whereby thediaphragm will carry the seat away from the safety valve.

7. A reducing valve having an initial pressure passage, a dischargepressure passage, a main valve and valve seat therebetween, a diaphragmresponsive to pressures on the discharge side of said main valve forcontrolling said main valve, a spring which imparts pressure to thediaphragm opposed to the pressure within the device, a safety valve andvalve seat carried by and moving with said diaphragm, and a stop adaptedboth to arrest the outward movement of the safety valve when anexcessive outward movement of the diaphragm occurs, and to limit theinward movement .of the diaphragm under the influence of said'spring.

8. In a reducing valve, a plug containing the main valve chamber,- valveseat, valve, and gas passages which open through the sides of the plugand into the valve chamber, and a filter encircling said plug andoverlying said gas passages the whole being assembled in acartridge-like form, and being readily removable from and insertibleinto the valve body as a unit.

9. In a reducing valve, a plug containing the main valve chamber, valveseat, valve, and gas passages which open through the sides of the plugand into the valve chamber, and a filter encircling said plug andoverlying said gas passages, and a sleeve inclosing said filter, theWhole being assembled in a cartridge-like form, and being readilyremovable from and insertible into the valve body as a unit. 1

phragm, a spring which imparts 10. In a reducing valve, a valve bodyhaving a threaded bore, and a plug having a threaded portion by whichthe plug is removablyscrewed into said bore, and a reduced portion, saidplug containing a main valve chamber, a valve seat, a valve, gaspassages extending through said'plug and opening into the spacesurrounding said reduced portion, and a filter fitted into said reducedportion and screening the passage to said valve chamber, the whole beingassembled in a cartridge-like form and being readily removable from andinsertible into said threaded bore as a unit.

11. In a reducing valve, a valve controlling diaphragm comprising asheet of flexible, elastic material, and a metal reinforcement on eachside of said sheet partly covering the sheet, each of said metalreinforcements lying opposite parts of said sheet not covered by theother reinforcement.

12. In a reducing valve, a valve controlling diaphragm comprising asheet of flexible, elastic material, a flexible metal reinforcingannulus overlying the margin of said sheet on its inner side, and a diskreinforcing said sheet at its middle part on its outer side, the innerperiphery of said annulus and the outer periphery of said diskoverlapping each other.

13. In a reducing valve, a' valve controlling diaphragm comprising asheet of flexible, elastic material, a flexible metal reinforcingannulus overlying the margin of said sheet on its inner side, and a diskreinforcing said sheet at its middle part on its outer side, the innerperiphery of said annulus and the outer periphery of said diskoverlapping each other, and a diaphragm stud passing through both thedisk and diaphragm and fastening the same together.

. 14. In a reducing valve, a valve body having an initial pressurepassage and a discharge pressure passage, a valve and valve seattherebetween, a discharge pressure chamber the walls of which include adiapressure to the diaphragm opposed to the pressure in said dischargepressure chamber, a channel of relatively great length and small crosssection connecting said discharge pressure passage and said dischargepressure chamer, diaphragm for controlling the valve comprising anelement extending into said channel and cooperating therewith to checkrapid pressure fluctuations. v

Signed by us at Bridgeport, Conn., this 29" day of July, 1915.

FREDERICK G. BLANCHARD. ERNEST B. CROCKER. PHILIPS. KEEFER.

and means adapted to be actuated by the

